Blog Tour for Beyond the Rising Tide

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The blog tour for Beyond the Rising Tide begins this week and I'm so thrilled to have so many participants! 

Blog Tour hosted by: Cedar Fort Publishing, YA Bound Book Tours, and Singing Librarian Book Tours:

BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE: 

June 13: CBY Book Club (Excerpt)
June 13: Andi’s Young Adult Books (Review)
June 13: Nana, Mommy & Sissy Too (Giveaway)
June 14: With Love for Books (Review)
June 14: Singing Librarian Books (Review)
June 14: Emmy Mom (Review)
June 14: Compass Book Ratings (Review)
June 14: Emily Cox/Nicole Allen (Promo Post)
June 14: The Recipe Fairy (Excerpt/Guest Post)
June 15: Katie’s Clean Book Collection (Review)
June 15: Cindy Bennett (Review)
June 15: Sweetly Made (Review)
June 15: The Cover Contessa (Promo)
June 16: Rockin’ Book Reviews (Review and Interview)
June 16: Geo Librarian (Review)
June 16: Literary Ramblings (Promo)
June 16: Mama Reads Hazel Sleeps (Guest Post and Giveaway)
June 16: A New Look on Books (Promo)
June 17: Heidi Reads (Review and Giveaway)
June 17: Kindle and Me (Review)
June 17: Keystroke Blog (Review)
June 17: Lovely Owls Books (Promo)
June 18: Fire and Ice (Review)
June 19: Inklings and Notions (Review)
June 20: My Book a Day (Review)
June 20: Desert Rose Reviews (Guest Post)
June 20: Andrea Buginsky (Excerpt and Guest Post)
June 20: Katie’s Stories (Promo)
June 21: Bookworm Lisa (Review)
June 22: Robyn Echols Books (Review)
June 22: The Write Path (Review)
June 22: The Book Return (Review)
June 22: Reading Addict (Review)
June 22: Kovescence of the Mind (Review)
June 23: Wishful Endings (Review)
June 23: Getting Your Read On (Review)
June 23: Batch of Books (Interview)
June 23: Da Readaholic Book Blog (Review)
June 24: Mylissa’s Reviews and Book Thoughts (Review)
June 24: Maybe Books Will Be Our Always (Review)
June 24: Reading is my Superpower (Guest Post)
June 25: Charmed Haven Book Reviews (Review)
June 25: Just Commonly (Review)
June 25: Colorimetry (Guest Post)
June 26: Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews (Review)
June 27: Min Reads and Reviews (Review)
June 27: LDS Women’s Book Review (Review)
June 27: Literary Time Out (Review)
June 27: Book by Book (Review)
June 27: Zerina Blossom’s Books (Guest Post)
June 28: That Artsy Reader Girl (Review and Guest Post)
June 28: The Real Housewives of Riverton (Review and Giveaway)
June 28: Christian Bookaholic (Review)
June 29: Mel’s Shelves (Review)
June 29: Bloomfield of Thoughts (Guest Post)
June 30: Books Are Sanity (Review)
June 30: Fictionally (Guest Post)
June 30: Red Headed Book Lady (Review)
June 30: Sorcery in the Bookshelves (Review)*
June 30: YA Book Guru (Review)*
June 30: Fangirl Ahead (Review)*
June 30: Fantasy World (Review and Giveaway)*

Audiobook for PORCELAIN KEYS now available on Audible

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Some exciting news: Porcelain Keys is now available as an audiobook! Read and produced by the incredibly talented Heather Masters, it's available on Audible, Amazon, and iTunes. It's also available through library providers, so let your library know if you'd like them to carry it. Have a listen here: http://www.audible.com/pd/Teens/Porcelain-Keys-Audiobook/B01E061BD4/

Almost News

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I have news! Sort of. I finished my second novel last month and it's in the hands of a few people in the publishing industry. All I can say is that by the end of August I *should* have real news, which I will post here and on my facebook page as soon as I have it. 

I just want to give a huge shout out to all those who have read and enjoyed Porcelain Keys. It continues to get positive reviews from readers, and I can't tell you how encouraging that is. Being a writer can be tough, but when I see that readers are touched by my work, it makes me want to continue. So thank you!!!

UPDATE: It's now September 1st, and I can't give you real news yet because I'm still waiting to hear back from a couple people. One thing I've learned about the publishing industry is that it's very good at fostering the virtue of patience. :) Hoping to give you some good news soon though.

 

I'm working on it, I promise

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It's been three months since I've posted here, and the few of you who've visited my blog may wonder if it's because I've abandoned writing. On the contrary, I've been immersed in it, in creating a new story that I have to admit I love even more than Porcelain Keys. I am so excited to share it with my readers, and I'm working hard on it every day to get it to a place that I'm proud of. It's another YA romance, but unlike Porcelain Keys, it has some supernatural elements in it. Even so, the story is mainly character-driven. I'm having a great time exploring the lives of my main characters, their strengths and struggles, and the imperfections that make them so perfect for each other.

On another note, I got an email from my publisher last month stating that the American Library Association's YALSA contacted them to request copies of Porcelain Keys for their judging panel for their Best Fiction for Young Adults category. To be honest, I don't really know what this means (except that my book will be read by a panel of YALSA judges. Gulp.). But whether or not I become an official nominee, somehow my book was selected for judging, and that alone makes me happy!

Summer Goodreads Giveaway!

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I'm giving away signed copies of Porcelain Keys to 5 lucky winners!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Porcelain Keys by Sarah Beard

Porcelain Keys

by Sarah Beard

Giveaway ends August 05, 2014.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win


Words Aren't Bricks

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I have a friend who I sometimes go walking with. We live on the side of a mountain, so I guess “hiking” would be more accurate. We take turns pushing her 90-pound stroller and chat between heavy breaths. Well, one day, this friend and I were talking about the launch of my book, and she made a comment that has been floating around in my mind ever since. She said (and I paraphrase), “I can see that you’re the kind of person who likes to hide behind your words.”

I knew that she was just referring to my quiet personality, so I just sort of nodded and moved on to a new topic. But later, after I went home, her statement stuck with me like a patch of stickweed. I thought about it for days. Is that what I did? Did I hide behind my words? Did I use the written word to build a wall around myself, to keep me hidden from others, to avoid human interaction? The more I thought about it, the more I recognized just how incorrect her statement was.

I don’t think my friend meant to insult me. In fact she’s a very nice person. But I think that she misunderstands something about writers. We don’t ever hide behind our words.

Words aren’t bricks. We can’t stack them and build a wall. We can’t hide behind them because they come from inside of us. When we writers share our words, we are never more exposed or vulnerable. We’re opening ourselves up and saying, look what’s inside. Look at the things I care about, and the things I struggle with, and the things I fear and hope for. Our words open the door to our hearts, inviting readers inside.

Some readers come in and have a cup of tea, then quietly leave. Some wrap their arms around us and cry with us. And some readers bring in a keg and trash the place, leaving us to patch up the walls.

So you see, when we share our writing, there really is nowhere to hide. We risk our self-confidence and our very name in the hope that someone, somewhere will gain something from the words that have spilled from our heart onto the page.

Come learn about romance (and/or Asian weapons)

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I'll be teaching a class entitled "Romantic Tension and Chemistry--Raising the Stakes" at the Write Here In Ephraim writing conference this Saturday, March 29th. If romance isn't your thing, there will be plenty of other writing classes--from comedy to dialogue to action and more. There's even a "hands-on workshop in martial arts and Asian weapons." You won't want to miss it! So if you're not too far from Snow College (or you don't mind a short road trip), come on over! It's only $15 for pre-registration. For more information, here's a link to the conference website: http://writehereinephraim.com/

Another Goodreads Giveaway

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Enter here to win a signed copy of Porcelain Keys! 

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Porcelain Keys by Sarah Beard

Porcelain Keys

by Sarah Beard

Giveaway ends April 02, 2014.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win


Giveaway ends tomorrow!

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Enter to win a signed copy of Porcelain Keys! Giveaway ends tomorrow, 2/28, so enter now!

Recent reviews of Porcelain Keys:

“A beautifully written, lyrical tale of love...Sarah Beard weaves together a mesmerizing, gut-wrenching family drama, captivating mystery and heartbreaking love story, and she enriches it further with themes of music and art. The result is breathtaking.” – Bookish Book Reviews

"A gripping, melodious read..." --Deseret News

"...when I finished reading this book, all I could think was how I'd had a very similar experience when I read both Jennifer Donnelly's Revolution and John Green's The Fault in Our Stars. The emotionally-laden mix of happy moments and tragic scenes that left me with tears trailing down my face as I just kept turning pages because I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN." --I Read to Relax Blog

"You know how when you start a book and it grabs you in the beginning and you can’t stop until it’s done? Then you know how when you finish a book and you can’t stop thinking about it for days? Well, that’s how it was with me and this book!" --Kindle and Me Blog 

Four weeks to go!

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There are only four weeks until Porcelain Keys is released, and I'm gearing up by writing guest posts for the blog tour, trying to get the word out, and planning the launch party. I'm not great at planning parties. Usually I leave things like that up to my husband, the artsy extrovert. But there will definitely be sweet refreshments, music, and great company. So come join us! Wednesday, February 12th from 7-9 pm at the King's English bookshop. You can pre-order a book from the King's English website at www.kingsenglish.com and they will have it there for you the day of the launch party. For more info go to my events page.

Hope to see you there!